Texas Governor Richard Coke:

An Inventory of Governor Richard Coke Records at the Texas State Archives,
1873-1877

The governor of Texas is the chief
executive officer of the state elected by citizens every four years. Richard Coke
served as governor from January 15, 1874 to December 1, 1876. These records mainly
document Governor Coke's term in office. Types of records include correspondence,
proclamations, messages to the Texas Legislature, printed material, letterpress
books, petitions, and reports, dating from 1873 to 1877.

The governor of Texas is the chief executive officer of the state elected by citizens
every four years. The duties and responsibilities of the governor include serving as
commander-in-chief of the state's military forces; convening special sessions of the
legislature for specific purposes; delivering to the legislature at the beginning of
each regular session a report on the condition of the state, an accounting of all
public money under the governor's control, a recommended biennial budget, an
estimate of the amounts of money required to be raised by taxation, and any
recommendations he deems necessary; signing or vetoing bills passed by the
legislature; and executing the laws of the state.

The office of the governor of the state of Texas was created by the Texas
Constitution of 1845. It superseded the office of the president of the Republic of
Texas upon the annexation of Texas by the United States. The 1845 Constitution
defined the term of office as two years, with no more than four years served in a
six-year period. The governor was required to be thirty years old at minimum, a U.S.
citizen, and a Texas resident for at least three years (Article V, Section 4).

The Constitution outlined a number of powers held by the governor of Texas. The
governor acted as the commander-in-chief of the army, navy, and militia of the state
unless they were transferred into service under the federal government (Article V,
Section 6). He could call up a state militia to "execute
the laws of the State to suppress insurrections, and to repel invasions"
(Article VI, Section 4). The governor made recommendations to the legislature and
provided written information on the state of the government (Article V, Section 9).
He could also convene the legislature when necessary and adjourn the legislature in
the case of a disagreement between the House and Senate (Article V, Section 8). The
governor had the power to grant reprieves and pardons in criminal cases except those
of treason or impeachment, and to approve or disapprove bills, orders, resolutions,
or votes from the legislature (Article V, Sections 11, 17 and 18). The governor also
appointed supreme and district court judges and an attorney general with the consent
of two-thirds of the Senate (Article IV, Sections 5 and 12).

The 1845 Constitution also created the office of secretary of state, appointed by the
governor and confirmed by the Senate for the governor's term of service. The
secretary of state worked closely with the governor, and was required to "keep a fair register of all official acts and proceedings
of the governor" (Article V, Section 16). The Constitution called for the
election of a lieutenant governor at the time of the governor's election with the
same qualifications and term of office, but to be voted for separately by electors.
The lieutenant governor served as president of the Senate and could cast a deciding
vote in ties, as well as take on the governor's powers in his absence or until a new
governor was elected and qualified or the previous governor was able to resume
office (Article V, Section 12). In addition, it further called for the biennial
election of a state treasurer and comptroller of public accounts by the legislature,
with vacancies to be filled by the governor (Article V, Section 23). However, a
constitutional amendment in 1850 allowed the public election of the state treasurer
and comptroller.

The constitutional language defining the office of the governor changed marginally
with the Texas Constitution of 1861, which was written when Texas seceded from the
United States to join the Confederate States at the onset of the Civil War. The 1861
Constitution replaced mention of the United States with the Confederate States,
removed a requirement for U.S. citizenship for Texas governors, raised the
governor's salary, and set a date for the governor and lieutenant governor to take
office after an election.

The Constitution of 1866 arose out of the Constitution of 1861 with certain
amendments made during the Constitutional Convention of 1866. These amendments were
intended to bring the Texas constitution back into compliance with United States
law. The Constitution of 1866 made minor alterations to the office of the governor,
extending his term of office to four years with no more than eight years served in a
12-year period, and increasing his salary to $4,000 annually. He was also granted
the power of the item veto on appropriations and to convene the legislature outside
of the state capital if necessary.

Another constitutional convention took place in 1868-1869 under the Reconstruction
Acts of 1867, ultimately producing the Constitution of 1869. It affected the office
of the governor by again raising the governor's salary, this time to $5,000
annually, and giving the governor the right to appoint the attorney general and
secretary of state, with the other state offices being appointed by election. The
Contitution of 1876 subsequently reverted the governor's salary to $4,000 annually
and provided for the use and occupation of the governor's mansion, fixtures and
furniture. In addition, all vacancies in state or district offices, except for
members of the Legislature, were to be filled by appointment of the governor, with
the advice and consent of two-thirds of the senate.

Richard Coke, governor of Texas, held office from January 15, 1874 to December 1,
1876. Coke was born March 13, 1829 in Williamsburg, Virginia. He graduated from the
College of William and Mary, and began practicing law before moving to Waco, Texas
in 1850. In 1859 he was a member of a commission which removed the Brazos
Reservation Indians to the Indian Territory. After serving in the Secession
Convention of 1861, Coke rose in the ranks of the Confederate Army from private to
captain. In 1865 he was appointed district judge, and in 1866 was elected Supreme
Court associate justice, but was removed from that position by "military governor" General Philip Sheridan in 1867 as
an "impediment to reconstruction."

In 1873, Coke won the governor's chair over E.J. Davis. Several tense days in January
1874 saw the state capitol turned into an armed camp, with two rival legislatures,
as Davis refused to surrender his office. When President Ulysses S. Grant would not
support Davis' request for troops, Davis conceded and Coke was inaugurated as
governor. During Coke's term in office, he faced a state government that was in debt
and without funds, an unprotected frontier, and problems with Indians as well as
Mexican bandits. Coke reduced expenditures and made a new beginning of the public
school system. He was re-elected in 1876 after the Constitution of 1876 returned the
governor's term of office to two years. Later the same year, he was elected to the
U.S. Senate, and resigned from the governorship on December 1, 1876. Coke served
three terms in the Senate (1877-1895) and died in Waco, Texas on May 14, 1897.

The governor of Texas is the chief executive officer of the state elected by citizens
every four years. Richard Coke served as governor of Texas from January 15, 1874 to
December 1, 1876. These records mainly document Governor Coke's term in office.
Types of records include correspondence, proclamations, messages to the Texas
Legislature, printed material, letterpress books, petitions, and reports, dating
from 1873 to 1877. Letters include requests and recommendations for appointment to
office and for pardon of convicts; reports on Mexican border problems, such as gangs
of thieves crossing the Rio Grande; and discussions regarding school lands,
railroads, violence, and the creation of ranger companies. Correspondence is with
state and local officials, citizens of various counties, and newspaper editors.

Arrangement of the Records

Restrictions on Access

Materials do not circulate, but may be used in the State Archives search room.
Materials will be retrieved from and returned to storage areas by staff members.

Restrictions on Use

Most records created by Texas state agencies are not copyrighted. State records also
include materials received by, not created by, state agencies. Copyright remains
with the creator. The researcher is responsible for complying with U.S. Copyright
Law (Title 17 U.S.C.).

The letterpress volumes are extremely fragile and may not be photocopied.